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Sri Lanka
10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P.

New Democratic Front (NDF)· National List

Profession: Chartered Accountant

Roster profile ↗
Speeches 694 #4 of 225·#1 in party
Attendance 8/8 days present (of recorded)
Top topic Parliamentary Procedure 359 speeches
Last spoke 10 June 2026 in Debate

Activity by sitting

114 sittings · counts only, no scoring.

Topic focus

AI summary AI-assigned tags, 1–3 per speech. Counts only — not a score.

Speech history

694 speeches
  • 7 February 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake thanked Members across Government and Opposition for supporting his proposal, stating that its purpose was implementation rather than further discussion. He emphasized restoring public trust and dignity in Parliament and elected representatives, and called for the Tenth Parliament to act jointly beyond party lines. He supported the Prime Minister’s remarks and urged cooperation toward fiscal discipline, institutional reform, and a new political direction, invoking Singapore as a comparative model. Private Members' Motion 5: Abolishing the Pension Scheme of Members of Parliament Parliamentary ProcedureCorruption & Governance Reform Read →
  • 7 February 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake moved a Motion to abolish the pension scheme for Members of Parliament with immediate effect, arguing that it is viewed by voters as an unfair privilege and has contributed to declining public trust in Parliament. He said the proposal should apply prospectively, not retroactively, and framed it as part of creating a new political culture focused on public service rather than personal benefit. He noted that 215 former MPs currently receive pensions and said misconceptions about parliamentary benefits, including pensions, housing, salaries and vehicles, should be corrected through transparent action. Private Members' Motion 5: Abolishing the Pension Scheme of Members of Parliament Public FinanceParliamentary Procedure Read →
  • 7 February 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake objected that the Deputy Minister’s response did not answer his question on deposit rates, instead referring to lending rates for senior citizens’ medical expenditure. He demanded a proper answer, arguing that the requested information was directly relevant to his parliamentary question. Oral Answers to Questions and Second Round Questions Parliamentary Procedure Read →
  • 7 February 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake questioned the Government on its election pledge to provide a 15% interest rate on senior citizens’ deposits. He asked why the National Savings Bank is not paying that rate, noting that current rates are around 3% to 8%, and pressed the Deputy Minister to explain why the promise has not been implemented now that the Government is in office. Oral Answers to Questions and Second Round Questions Public FinanceCost of Living Read →
  • 7 February 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake sought clarification on his earlier supplementary question regarding bank interest-rate spreads, asking why deposits earn about 3 per cent while loans are charged at 14–15 per cent. He argued that no bank should have a 10 percentage point spread and indicated that the previous answer had not addressed this point. Oral Answers to Questions and Second Round Questions Public Finance Read →
  • 7 February 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake questioned the interest rate spread at the National Savings Bank, noting that it pays around 3 per cent and 8 per cent on savings deposits while charging 14 to 19 per cent on loans. He asked why a State savings institution with a specific mandate to serve depositors maintains such a large margin between deposit and lending rates. Oral Answers to Questions and Second Round Questions Public Finance Read →
  • 7 February 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake asked the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development for detailed information on the National Savings Bank, including its incorporation date, current leadership, branch and employee numbers, paid-up capital, and compliance with Basel capital adequacy requirements. He also requested financial performance data covering profits, return on investment, administrative costs, lending margins, and balance sheet values, as well as details on any loans over Rs. 1 billion written off, the entities involved, and the legal procedures followed. Oral Answers to Questions and Second Round Questions Public Finance Read →
  • 5 February 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake raised a point of order concerning the composition of parliamentary committees, arguing that established practice and references such as Erskine May should guide procedure where Standing Orders are silent. He stated that Opposition representation in relevant committees had historically not been significantly reduced and requested that the Opposition be given fair space, citing an ethical and moral obligation to maintain balanced committee membership. Procedural: Privilege Questions and Sitting Time Motion Parliamentary Procedure Read →
  • 5 February 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake questioned the allocation of Rs. 23.8 billion for SriLankan Airlines’ debts, noting that about half would go to People’s Bank, and asked whether such public funds could instead support low-interest lending to SMEs. Referring to the Committee on Public Finance and the Central Bank’s role in monetary policy, he asked what measures the Government could take to ensure low-cost credit for SMEs and entrepreneurs without spending on loss-making State-owned enterprises. Oral Question: People's Bank - Corporate Governance and Operations (Q.294/2024) Public FinanceEmployment Read →
  • 5 February 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake questioned why People’s Bank continues to charge loan interest rates of 17–18 percent despite lower administrative costs, declining interest rates, and increased profits. Referring to the difficulties faced by SMEs, he asked whether the bank’s lending rates could be corrected and reduced to around 8–10 percent. Oral Question: People's Bank - Corporate Governance and Operations (Q.294/2024) EmploymentPublic Finance Read →
  • 5 February 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake asked the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development for detailed information on People’s Bank, including its incorporation date, current leadership, branch and employee numbers, paid-up capital, and compliance with Basel capital adequacy requirements. He also sought financial data on profits, returns, administrative costs, lending margins, and balance sheet values, as well as details on any loan write-offs exceeding Rs. 1 billion, the entities involved, and the legal procedures followed. Oral Question: People's Bank - Corporate Governance and Operations (Q.294/2024) Public Finance Read →
  • 5 February 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake urged that Sri Lanka Customs be made operational 24 hours a day for clearances, warning that delays could cause the problem to recur. He called for legislation to ensure 24/7 customs clearance in line with practices in other countries in the region. Oral Question: Export Growth and Economic Competitiveness (Q.292/2024) Infrastructure Read →
  • 5 February 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake raised concern that port or logistics congestion is contributing to cost-push inflation and affecting both shipping and export activity. Citing the December 2024 trade balance, he questioned how the Government intends to address congestion when imports are increasing while exports are not keeping pace. Oral Question: Export Growth and Economic Competitiveness (Q.292/2024) Cost of LivingInfrastructurePublic Finance Read →
  • 5 February 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake noted delays at the Port and indicated he would assist in framing the second question so that a more comprehensive answer could be provided. Oral Question: Export Growth and Economic Competitiveness (Q.292/2024) Infrastructure Read →
  • 5 February 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake asked the Prime Minister to address the high cost of capital, noting a gap between low market lending rates of around 4 to 5 per cent and the 15 to 18 per cent rates faced by individuals and small and medium enterprises. He sought clarification on whether the Government could intervene or provide a buffer to bring borrowing rates down to more realistic levels, closer to deposit-rate benchmarks. Oral Question: Export Growth and Economic Competitiveness (Q.292/2024) Public Finance Read →
  • 5 February 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake briefly asked when a pending matter or question would be answered. The intervention sought clarification on the timing of a response in the parliamentary proceedings. Oral Question: Export Growth and Economic Competitiveness (Q.292/2024) Parliamentary Procedure Read →
  • 5 February 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake asked the Prime Minister whether increasing exports is necessary for Sri Lanka to emerge from its debt difficulties and sought details on how the Government will address obstacles faced by exporters. He raised issues including high bank interest rates, delays and costs in container clearance, bottlenecks in government approvals affecting ease of doing business, and the possibility of 24-hour and pre-clearance systems with post-audit safeguards. He also asked whether rapid economic digitization and cashless transactions could reduce red tape and support automatic implementation of government policies. Oral Question: Export Growth and Economic Competitiveness (Q.292/2024) EmploymentInfrastructurePublic Finance Read →
  • 5 February 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake presented three petitions to Parliament from constituents in Panadura, Ambalantota, and Kandy. The petitions were submitted on behalf of Mrs. B.D.D. Perera, Mr. Dadallage Munidasa Mendis, and Mr. R.U.M. Sarath Rajakaruna. Petitions: Three Petitions Presented Parliamentary Procedure Read →
  • 5 February 2025 AI summary Ravi Karunanayake queried a supplementary allocation linked to USAID and the Department of Import and Export Control, asking whether it represented an actual cash disbursement by 31 December 2024 or merely an allocation. He requested clarification from the Prime Minister on how any resulting deficit would be addressed following the 24 January 2025 US Executive Order halting USAID funding. He also asked for an assessment of the impact of the suspension of USAID support on Sri Lanka and globally. Papers: Tabling of Reports and Orders Public Finance Read →
  • 23 January 2025 AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake supported the Government’s moves on Free Trade Agreements and argued that Sri Lanka must secure reciprocal market access while addressing non-tariff barriers to expand exports beyond its small domestic market. He raised concern over severe delays in cargo clearance at the Port, including containers being held up, vessels turning away, and lorries idled, and called for Port, Customs and related agencies to operate 24/7, implement ASYCUDA and a single-window system, and adopt pre-clearance with post-clearance audits. He said reducing demurrage and easing business costs are essential to export competitiveness and debt recovery. He also supported incentives under the Strategic Development Projects Act, including for the Eravur Project, arguing that investment decisions should consider job creation, foreign exchange earnings, and wider economic returns. Debate: Regulations under Imports and Exports (Control) Act and Related Economic Measures InfrastructurePublic FinanceForeign Affairs Read →